Many products have bodies or housings with hollow cavities therein. As only some examples, automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles, as well as some consumer appliances, have hollow cavities formed between inner and outer panels, in pillars, or within their frame members, that form their respective bodies or housings.
In particular, some structural members of automobile bodies have a variety of orifices, hollow posts, cavities, passages, and openings (collectively, “hollow cavities”). Hollow cavities are often created in these products to reduce overall weight of the final product, as well as to reduce material costs. However, introduction of hollow cavities is often not without tradeoffs. For example, introducing a hollow cavity may reduce the overall strength or energy-absorbing characteristics of a structural member. In addition, a hollow cavity may result in increased transmission of vibration or sound to other portions of the product.
It is known to use structural reinforcers to attempt to offset these and other tradeoffs. Some current reinforcers include an expansible material applied to a carrier, which typically is a molded component. The expansible material is expanded during the manufacture of the product, securing the reinforcer in place as the expanded material contacts the adjoining surface of the product. However, the expansible material in such reinforcers may not be securely joined to the carrier, leading to uneven or inadequate sealing. Moreover, expansion of the material may exacerbate the accumulation of fluids in the hollow cavity during production or ultimate use of the product, leading to corrosion or other undesirable effects.
Thus, a significant need remains for an improved structural reinforcer that alleviates these and other drawbacks.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the drawings and the detailed description below.